Richmond dispatch. [volume] (Richmond, Va.) 1884-1903, 1887-10-23
BOOTH'S GRANDSON.
CrestOn Clarke's Debut in Hamlet
at the Theatre.

The young actor Creston Clarke was
tried as in the crucible yesterday after
noon upon the occasion of his initial
appearance in Hamlet. And right well
did he stand the test. The Theatre was
crowded with an unusually brilliant
audience for a matinee performance.
1t was a pleasant episode that youNg
Clarke should have selected Richmond
for his first impersonation OF the royal
Dane, since it was here that his grand
father. the elder Booth, made his dfbW
in Richard the Third. 1t was, as we said
before, severe test for one so young to
essay this wonderful creation of Shak-
speare, which has been made to 1--we with
such dramatic force by the great actOrso of
this century. Then, too, the play is so
well known that the average young
boy can tell You just how Booth or
Barrett renders this or that line. The
young actor was very naturally tribe
nervous, and this may account for the
only serious defect III his WORK, which
was that he failed TO make himself
heard in many portions OF the play.
TO our mind, he is an ideal Hamlet.
His age, his pose, his handsome, beau
tiful face, all comport exactly with the
creation of the immortal bard. The
greatest charm of his acting was that
he was natural-he seemed to model
his department after the advice TO the
players. He held &" the mirror up to
nature" His rendition of the lines at
the end of the act, wherein he
receives the players, 1.-The plays the
thing to catch the conscience of
the King" was unconventional and
clever. Instead of rushing off the
stage with this dramatic climax, he
gives it the required force, and, Selling
a pen, sets to work as if to carry out
the thought of interpolating 1.-the
mouse.trap" for the king. His scene
with Opbelia, where he renounces his
love and would have her go to a nun
merry, as well as his interview with his
mother when he kills Polonius, were
both very fine, and called forth de-
served and enthusiastic applause from
the audience. In the ghost scene he
was excellent. The soliloquy was
finished as 10 the reading, but the low
pitch Of the voice made it unintelligi-
BILE to the greater portion of the house.
On the whole, Mr. Clarke, in his initial
portrayal of Hamlet, shows that he has
the metal of his grandfather and uncle
Edwin, and is strikingly like the Inter.
He is evidently q close student, and If
he only had the voice We could safely
predict that his rendering OF Hamlet is
like to be second to none of the actors
of this country. He has slight lisp,
which, while not serious detraction,
is an impediment TO successful and
musical enunciatiOn.
Crest N Clarke, is an American by
birth, the son of John S. and Ate L Booth
Clarke and grandson of Booth the elder
He is now in his twenty second year,
three years younger than his uncle, Ed
win Booth, when the latter first esSayed
Hamlet. Creston was in his childhood
designed by his mother for the priest
hood. He was thoroughly educated at
the college of Notre Dame de st.
Croix, III Paris. His boyish years
brought with them>a yearning for his
graAdiather's profession, and even at
college he procured a copy of /" Ham
let " in French and studied it carefully.
He acted while a college boy Iago in
the play OF "Othello." His desire for
the stage was not to be resisted, and
three years ago he began acting. Last
year he was at Wallack's Theatre, New
York. He has suffered somewhat from
his throat this week, but as Hamlet
was announced he determined to do it
at any hazard.